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Topic: What are your thoughts on the 3DS at this point? (Read 3169 times)

I plan to get Samus Returns and Pokemon Ultra Sun but otherwise the 3DS is mostly done for as far as new purchases are concerned. It's obviously on it's way out and there isn't much left on the system that I'm interested in that I don't already own besides Dragon Quest 7.

I think the 3DS has my favorite software library of any system ever, especially now that it has a proper Metroid game. From Nintendo's big franchises to quirky indie stuff, 3DS has an amazing selection. I'll keep mine around forever to keep going back to some of my favorites.

Looking at my little library of portable games and hardware has led to several conclusions:

(1) I prefer the DS generation to what we've received on 3DS. A big part of that is DS winning the battle of "most/best RPGs", although I find it has many smaller, quirky games that also appealed to me greatly.

(2) Downloaded titles are much less valuable to me than retail ones. I "own" a large number of 3DS, but can't currently play them because the hardware they are locked to is broken. There hasn't been a rush to replace it because my kids have a 3DS that can be used, and only a handful of my downloaded games are ones I care about.

(3) Numbers are deceiving. For DS, the games I don't care about are sold or traded away - so the size of my collection correlates directly to the number of games I enjoy. With 3DS, I own many more games when you count digital... but that's a factor of never being able to purge those games or trade them for something else.

(4) Build quality has been disappointing for 3DS hardware. I've owned two separate 3DS units, both broke over time with normal (fairly heavy) usage. My DS lite is still going strong though. Nintendo also never seemed to figure out how to prevent scratches on the upper screen with the various 3D versions, which is ridiculous.

Those observations might seem negative... but the fact that 3DS is fully backwards compatible still makes it my favorite portable system ever. Sure, DS games have different resolution and look better on original units - but that doesn't bug me.

Also, even though I don't always use it when playing I do really like the 3D gimmick in games. That's why I'm kind of bummed that all reports suggest the "New 2DS XL" (what a name!) is probably the best hardware build to pick up.

Hmm... I've been trying to say something positive, and it keeps coming out as mixed praise at best.Maybe that's the real statement I have about the 3DS generation.

The 3DS is keeping me from buying a Switch or PS4 or anything from the current generation. I'm perfectly content to just continue to get games for it and it's still getting games into 2018. So that will give me some time to see if the current consoles end up dropping in price at all and it also lets me see the lay of the land. The PS4 was attracting my interest but now the Switch is stealing the spotlight. Odds are the Switch will be my choice but a year ago that wasn't the case and if the 3DS didn't keep on chugging I probably would have gone with a PS4.

With the 3DS I have almost exclusively stuck with RPGs. So no Zelda: Link Between Worlds, no Super Mario 3D Land, no Metroid (thus far). That sounds ridiculous for a Nintendo fan but I've found that I don't do well with action focused games on handhelds. I tend to involuntarily move the controller around a lot during tense gameplay and when the screen is attached to the controller that's visually disorienting. I had trouble getting into the GBA until the Game Boy Player came out and never was very happy with the DS. So with the 3DS I made a conscious effort to only get games that I know I'll hold still with which ends up being RPGs.

But I don't feel I've missed out at all! The 3DS is a wonderful system for the genre so I have played tons of great games. And I've now got a new appreciation for the DS because, frankly, I was playing the wrong games for it. Now that I've played its RPGs and visual novels (Phoenix Wright, 999, etc.) I have a new appreciation for that system. It's a much better system than I gave it credit for, I just shouldn't have been wasting my time with high profile titles I didn't like much like NSMB and Phantom Hourglass. As I've gotten older I feel like I can skip Mario or Zelda games and when I was younger that was unfathomable. No, I don't have to play all the big stuff - I can be content playing less games but sticking to stuff that really interests me. I guess it's not specifically a 3DS thing but more of a change in approach as I've gotten older.

Now if someone was new to games and asked me what game system they should buy, the New 3DS (I don't have a "New" one but it's clearly the way to go for a newcomer) would be one of my top considerations since that can play so many great games, covering a lot of different styles and genres as well.

I just posted about this in the Metroid thread, but I'm just fed up with the 3DS design. The nub was painful for my thumb and the modded PSP nub is just too loose for long play sessions. The system is sorely in need of an update, and frankly I'm disappointed they didn't upgrade the nub in the recent 2DS XL models. I'd have bought it again if it included a second full circle pad like on a circle pad pro.

Might even dive into modding to swap out the nub for another circle pad.

The 3DS is a good system, though I would gladly trade the 3D for higher resolution. I don't use the 3D much, and I feel the low-res screens are the main area where the system is showing its age.

Like ejamer said, the build quality was lacking, at least for the original model which felt like a cheap prototype. I haven't had any issues with my XL, so that model is a lot better and seems fine. The placement of the Start and Select buttons is still poor, but that's about the only negative I can say about it.

Software-wise, I enjoy both the game library and the apps. StreetPass was a fun novelty, and I also like to browse the Activity Log now and then. While the original DS probably has more good games overall, the 3DS may have more great games, so it's tough to say which is better. Though, the two systems kind of blend together for me since I didn't have a DS, so 3DS has been great in that it's also allowed me to experience the DS library. I think I do like 3DS more than Wii U though. I at least have more playtime on 3DS.

There are still plenty more 3DS games I plan to play and buy, so I'll still be playing the system for years to come. I may need to get a NEW 3DS at some point, simply because my current system will probably wear out from use. Though currently, it still works fine.

My current top ten would probably look like this, though it's definitely subject to change as I play more games:

I always have and always will love the 3DS. I still use mine often. Im currently playing Pilotwings Resort on it. I wish I had bought that at launch, instead of just a few weeks ago. The game is great.

I also still want to get Miitopia, Samus Returns and Sushi Striker for it. So my 3DS still have life left.

I think the 3DS has my favorite software library of any system ever, especially now that it has a proper Metroid game. From Nintendo's big franchises to quirky indie stuff, 3DS has an amazing selection. I'll keep mine around forever to keep going back to some of my favorites.

This is my main thought as well. Had great support from Nintendo, third parties, had digital-exclusive games to further bolster its library, and gave me thousands of hours of playtime. I still have more games that are on my shelf that I need to still play!

With the release of Pokemon Ultra Sun, I think 3DS is over for Pokemon fans like me. We will only wait for event Pokemon distribution and also using Online features to battle and trade. In terms of new purchases I doubt it'll be as good as before.

I just posted about this in the Metroid thread, but I'm just fed up with the 3DS design. The nub was painful for my thumb and the modded PSP nub is just too loose for long play sessions. The system is sorely in need of an update, and frankly I'm disappointed they didn't upgrade the nub in the recent 2DS XL models. I'd have bought it again if it included a second full circle pad like on a circle pad pro.

Might even dive into modding to swap out the nub for another circle pad.

Mine has been pretty heavily worked with compared to any other handheld I own. I have a circle pad cover, the PSP c-stick I mod, a OG 3DS telescoping stylus, and as the real star of the show, the Monster Hunter Double Cross 3DS grip. Here's a good representation of the end result.

Despite it's faults though I consider the New 3DS XL to be the pinnacle of the entire DS line. With the exception of the SD card slot all of it's little ports, cameras, and sliders are perfectly placed, it's built in speakers are amazing, the face buttons are a perfect size and really well spaced, The D-pad is amazing, and having the Circle Pad Pro's inputs built in, despite the their issues (The ZL and ZR buttons are smaller than the home button and the default C-stick is a joke) is a godsend for someone like me who would have never purchased a Circle Pad Pro and thus never gotten to play games like Monster Hunter 4U and Nano Assault EX.

The large screens on the XL system allows it to handily run Pixel perfect mode on DS and Virtual Console games and Super stable 3D is really impressive, especially in games that make strong use of the 3D effect already (Kid Icarus Uprising has an incredible 3D effect that you can only really see with super stable 3D because of that games controls.

The new 3DS XL is really close to perfection and that makes it's faults all the more glaring, especially the C-stick and that stubby little stylus but it also caused me to strive to remove those shortcomings.

I really do want to get a New 3DSXL, as my old 3DSXL is showing its age in a number of ways. But, the system itself, in addition to the MicroSD I would have to get with it, are holding me back.

In terms of software, the obvious and often-discounted fact is that, with backwards compatibility in mind, the 3DS has one of the best libraries ever. Even without that, however, I still believe the library on 3DS is absolutely fantastic, bolstered by an amazing indie/eShop scene. The quality of games on the system is absurd.

I really do want to get a New 3DSXL, as my old 3DSXL is showing its age in a number of ways. But, the system itself, in addition to the MicroSD I would have to get with it, are holding me back.

In terms of software, the obvious and often-discounted fact is that, with backwards compatibility in mind, the 3DS has one of the best libraries ever. Even without that, however, I still believe the library on 3DS is absolutely fantastic, bolstered by an amazing indie/eShop scene. The quality of games on the system is absurd.

My sister got a 2DS recently so it's very likely I'm just going to give her some DS/3DS games for Christmas/Birthday presents because there is so much on those systems I know she'll absolutely adore, it's ridiculous. She basically went from the most difficult family member to buy presents for to the easiest with that move alone, it's amazing.

So I think I'm becoming a bit obsessed with finding a better alternative to the PSP nup, since it tends to come free from time to time, and I don't want to glue it in for a number of reasons.

I stumbled upon some mods for the circle pad pro, and I am thinking of doing something similar so that it can fit my New 3DS XL. A bit of cutting and sanding, and adding some nice magnet backs from those dashboard phone mounts and I could have a winner on my hands. the CPP XL is pretty cheap so if I destroy it I could at least replace it for my OG 3DS XL.

It would reduce the "portability", but honestly, I already never carry it around, and am doing this as a way to enjoy Monster Hunter on the 3DS while I pine for them to make one for the bloody Switch.